Breaded Chicken with Peppers and Onions in a Balsamic Sauce

We haven’t had plain breaded chicken in awhile, I think, because breaded chicken, to me, has always seemed plain, bland, and boring. But with the use of homemade breadcrumbs and an easy pepper and onion side dish and a few additional minutes in the kitchen, a plain meal was fancied up a bit. Of course homemade bread crumbs are unnecessary, but if you have stale bread laying around, homemade crumbs add an extra dimension of taste and crunch.

For this recipe, all quantities really depend on much chicken you are going to make. I chose about a 1 lb of chicken tenders and will give quantities for that amount.

Ingredients:

1- chicken

2- one egg and one egg white, slightly whipped

3- breadcrumbs

4- 1 pepper

5- 1 small onion

6- 2 cloves garlic

7- balsamic vinegar

8- salt and pepper

9- 1 tbs sugar

10- olive oil

To Prep Ahead:

1- Cut the pepper into strips.

2- Cut the onion.

3- Dice the garlic.

Set all aside.

Directions:

1- Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non stick spray.

2- Have the egg in one bowl and breadcrumbs in another. Bread the chicken by covering it with egg and then breadcrumbs. Place on the baking sheet for now (You will start the chicken in the pan, then move it to the oven).

3- Once all the chicken is breaded, sautee the chicken for about 2 minutes on each side over medium high heat. Let it get a nice crisp. Return the chicken to the baking sheet and finish in the pre heated oven. Depending on thickness, it should take about 15-20 minutes.

4- While the chicken is in the oven, wipe out the pan used for the chicken. Put some more olive oil in the pan (about 1.5 turns of the pan) and heat the pan on low to moderate heat. Once the pan is heated, add the peppers and the onions and cook until soft (don’t let them burn). Once you see they are starting to soften, add the garlic. After about a minute, add some salt and pepper to taste and the sugar. Also add the balsamic vinegar. You want to add enough to coat the peppers and onions plus a little extra. You want it to be able to simmer and thicken. Don’t add too much though because you will be there forever as it simmers down. Stir to combine and allow it a fews mins to thicken.

5- At this point, the chicken should be about done. Remove the chicken and serve with the peppers and onions.

And to drink:

We had this with Samuel Adams East-West Kolsch. With its citrusy undertones, however, we found it to be a bit light.